§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce a decision regarding the taxing of social security benefits and family income supplements where these benefits amount to a greater income so that a person in similar circumstances has a lesser take-home pay after taxation.
§ Mr. Peter ReesI have been asked to reply.
The commitment in our pre-election manifesto is to bring unemployment and short-term sickness benefits within the tax system. We are actively considering ways to achieve this; as regards short-term sickness benefit in particular, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mr. Chapman) on 17 December.—[Vol. 976, c. 91–92.]